Alternatives to cloud-init (was Re: [DISCUSS] Cloud and Server Workgroup relationship)

[Peter Robinson]

On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 1:16 PM, Joe Brockmeier <jzb at redhat.com> wrote:
> On 10/28/2015 08:21 PM, Josh Boyer wrote:
>> The *could* be the same thing,
>> except cloud-init is terrible and I hate it and if that was the single
>> offering we had for some kind of C&S WG I would cry.  I hate it
>> because it is ridiculous to use in a non-cloud environment, and Server
>> very much has that as part of it's reach.
>
> Forking this thread briefly because I think this deserves its own
> discussion.
>
> Is your objection primarily to the concept of cloud-init or the
> implementation? If it's the concept, not much we can help with there. If
> it's the implementation...
>
> We've talked about replacing cloud-init a few times in the past, but
> there are two objections:
>
> - cloud-init is "standard" and we have an uphill marketing battle to get
> our image adopted with something else.
> - lack of a great alternative.

This is one of the utilities I've often thought it would be great for
the systemd group of utilities to absorb as it crosses over into a
bunch of that space like setting hostnames, auth etc. I believe they'd
likely do it some justice.

Peter